Shoulder-brace.



B. NESBITT.

SHOULDER BRAGE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1908.

945,858 Patented Jan. 11,1910.

. for-table shoulder-strap EDA NESBITT, OF SWAN HILL, VICTORIA,AUSTRALIA.

SHOULDER-BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Jan. 11, 1910.

Application filed September 1, 1908. Serial No. 451,242.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDA NESBITT, a sub ject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Swan Hill, in the county of Tatchera and State ofVictoria, Commonwealth of Australia, married lady, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Shoulder- Braces, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to an improved combination shoulder strap, dressand hose supporter, and has been devised principally in order to attainthe following objects: Firstly, to provide an efiicient and coindesignedto make a stooping figure erect and graceful, the elasticity of whichstrap will be uniform at all times even after being subjected toconsiderable wear, and which will enable the wearer to move the arms andbody with perfect ease and freedom: secondly, the provision of awaist-strap for supporting a skirt and retaining it and a bodice intheir correct positions: thirdly, to provide improvements in the meansfor supporting hose, which means will be exceedingly elastic and willnot cause the wearer any discomfort nor inconvenience.

Suitable regulating devices have also been utilized to enable thedifferent straps comprised in the invention to be adjusted to suitpersons of varying proportions.

The means by which the above-mentioned objects are accomplished areillustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein the samereference letters are employed to designate the same parts in theseveral views.

In these drawings: Figure 1 is a view showing the manner of affixing theimproved shoulder-straps to a person. Fig. 2 is a front view of the sameillustrating the shoulderstraps and suspenders in position. Figs. 3 and4 are detail views of part of the invention.

In these views, the letter a is employed to designate twoshoulder-straps having their upper ends secured to the inner rings 6 ofloop or U-shaped wire springs 0, while the outer rings at of both of thesaid springs are connected by a short loose strap 6. The shoulder-strapsa are passed through the outer rings 05 of the springs 0 and thenbeneath the arm-pits and back over the shoulders of the wearer. Afterpassing over the shoulders, the said straps a are extended downwardlycrossing themselves and being secured to a vertical strap fapproximately midway between the shoulders and the waist line. The saidstraps a after being crossed have their ends fastened to a waist-belt orband 9 by means of buttons, studs or other fastening means indicated bythe letter 72.. The said straps a are connected together about midway oftheir length by means of a short retaining strap 2' situated at a pointapproximately level with the wearers shoulder blades.

To the buttons or the like It the wearer can connect the bodice andskirt, by which means they are not only held together, but the weight ofthe skirt hanging direct from the shoulders keeps a constant strainthereon and tends to draw them backward, thereby materially assisting inretaining the wearers figure erect. The said connecting strap 2' isdesigned to prevent the straps a from slipping oif the shoulders, andits central portion is secured to the top of the vertical strap 7". Thefront of the said waist-band is provided with two short depending strapsj, to the lower ends of which are secure springs k, similar to thoseemployed to give elasticity to the shoulder-straps a, and inclicated bythe letter 0 in Fig. l. The said straps j are secured to the lower ringsZ of the springs 70, while the opposite rings m are connected bysuspender straps a to the usual branch straps 0 provided with ordinaryfastening clips 9.

Owing to the suspender straps n being connected to the waist-band g, thestrain thereon assists in drawing the shoulders of the wearer backwardand assists the shoulder-straps a in their functions.

Fig. 4 clearly illustrates the manner in which the U-shaped wire springs70 are fitted to straps j and n to relieve the strain thereon. In thisview the strap shown passed through the ring 772. and then secured as bysewing, riveting or the like to the opposite ring Z, while the end ofthe strap a is passed through the ring Z and is secured to the oppositering on. Thus when the free ends of the said straps are subjected toopposite strains the ends of the spring are forced together as indicatedby dotted lines in Fig. 3, and when the strain is reduced the springresumes its normal position. The springs c operate in a similar mannerto relieve the strain between the shoulder-straps a and the springconnecting strap 6.

The springs are preferably made of spring wire bent in the form of aloop, or U-shaped as shown in the drawings, and each having its endsprovided with outwardly turned rings to which the straps can be securedand passed through as hereinbefore described.

Any well-known devices as slides or buokles can be attached to any orall of the straps of the invention for the purpose of enabling correctadjustments to be made, the adjustment slides for regulating the lengthof the shoulder-straps a being )referably positioned under the arm-pitsfsee Fig. 2).

The various straps comprised in the invention may be of webbing, leatheror other suitable material not necessarily elastic as sufficientelasticity is obtained by the provision of the springs 0 and What I doclaim is 1. In a combination shoulderstrap, dress and hose supporter,two shoulder-straps connected by means of interposed U-shaped springsand a short strap, said shoulderstraps being adapted to pass beneath thearm-pits, return over the shoulders and be crossed, a waist-band towhich the ends of the shoulder-straps are fastened, and a retainingstrap joined to said shoulder-straps and adapted to keep the same inposition on the body, substantially as and for the purposes herein setforth.

2. In a combination shoulder-strap, dress and hose supporter, twoshoulder-straps connected by means of interposed U-shaped springs and ashort strap, said shoulder straps being adapted to pass beneath thearmpits, to return over the shoulders, and be crossed, a waist-band towhich the ends of the shoulder-straps are fastened, a retaining-strapconnecting both of said shoulder straps, and a strap connecting'saidwaistband with said retaining strap, substantially as and for thepurposes hereinset forth.

3. In a combination shoulder-strap, dress and hose supporter, twoshoulder-straps connected by means of interposed U-shaped springs and ashort strap, said shoulderstraps being adapted to be passed under thearm-pits, over the shoulders and be crossed, a waist-band to which theends of the shoulder-straps are adjustably secured, two depending strapsaflixed to said waist-band each being provided with a U-shaped spring towhich is secured a suspender strap, substantially as and for thepurposes herein set forth.

EDA NESBITT. Vitnesses I-I. GORDON BROWN, CHAnLEs IIARKELL.

